WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT: Has Gov. Doug Ducey made Arizonathe state most opposed to abortion in the United States?

ANALYSIS: In an interview with The Arizona Republic and azcentral.comon Sept. 27, Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Garcia targeted his opponent, Gov. Doug Ducey on his record regarding abortion. Garcia claims that under Ducey's leadership, Arizona has become the "most anti-choice state in the country."

Steve Aden, general counsel and chief legal officer for Americans United for Life, said, "Arizona has done most of all that we look at when we consider a pro-life state.”

He referred to the state’s waiting period for an abortion and state-directed counseling as significant examples.

A fact sheet published by the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy institute that focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, lists other restrictions in Arizona, including: limited insurance coverage for the procedure, notarized written parental consent for abortions for minors, and a required ultrasound at least 24 hours before the abortion.

Aden said state funding for abortions was a significant factor in the "Life List" No.1 ranking this year.

“Arizona has done a lot of redirecting of funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the state,” he said. ”Most state funding is now out of Planned Parenthood in Arizona.”

Ducey routinely signs anti-abortion legislation. On average, he has signed three bills related to abortion per legislative session since taking office.

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Gubernatorial candidate David Garcia shared his thoughts on abortion access during his visit to the azcentral newsroom on Sept. 27, 2018.
William Flannigan, azcentral

Many abortion-rights advocacy groups in Arizona have been upset by Ducey’s actions.

Shauna Trinidad, board chairwoman of NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona, wrote in an email to AZ Fact Check, "It's hard to say if Arizona is number one in the entire country, as new laws are being introduced and signed all the time ... though Arizona is absolutely a battleground state for reproductive rights."

Arizona is categorized by NARAL as a state with “severely restricted access” to abortion by the organization.

On the organization's 2016 annual report card on women’s reproductive rights, Arizona received an “F.” It was among 25 other states who received that grade.

Arkansas and Oklahoma are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, behind Arizona on the "Life List."

But there are other ways to look at a state's relative restrictiveness for abortion.

According to NARAL Pro-Choice State Reports, in Oklahoma, 96 percent of counties do not have an abortion provider. In Arkansas, 97 percent of counties do not have a provider and the state Supreme Court there recently upheld a restriction on the use of abortion pills, which has applied pressure on the three remaining surgical abortion clinics in the state.

The No.4 state, Mississippi, has only one abortion clinic, known as "The Pink House," located in Jackson.

By the measure of access to clinics, Arizona is not the most restrictive state. According to a 2017 report on abortion by the Arizona Department of Health Services, 19 providers operated in the state the prior year.

Nonetheless, gains for anti-abortion advocates have been substantial under Ducey.

The Center for Arizona Policy, the powerful social conservative group, has helped create and has endorsed anti-abortion bills introduced in the state Legislature and has found a strong ally in Ducey.

Significant legislation passed during his first term includes:

SB 1367, which requires abortion clinics and hospitals to take measures to care for a baby when “delivered alive” (as per the bill’s definition) during an abortion.

SB 1527, which intends to redirect Title X funding away from abortion providers. The law requires the Arizona Department of Health Services to apply to oversee the federal Title X grant that includes $5 million in family-planning funds. Historically, the non-profit Arizona Health Family Partnership has overseen Title X program in Arizona and funded clinics. If they are under state control, Title X funds cannot legally go toward abortion providers. The state will apply for the grant in 2019.

SB 1394, signed into law in April, mandates new reporting requirements from hospital or abortion facilities about the reasons a woman chooses to have an abortion.

Aden of Americans United For Life said the legislative activity boosted Arizona into the No. 1 spot for the past year on the "Life List".

In the 2017 legislative session, his team "considered bills introduced into the state Legislature, court activity, and laws passed in a session,” Aden said. For Arizona, the action in the Legislature has made the difference.

Aden said the ranking can be subjective, but we “try make it as objective as possible, considering the numbers."

BOTTOM LINE: David Garcia used Americans United For Life's "Life List" for 2018 to claim Arizona has become the most anti-abortion state under Gov. Doug Ducey.

Although the list was created by an anti-abortion advocacy and policy group, and not an independent research organization, AZ Fact Check finds the organization's reasoning and evidence for the ranking to have merit.

Ducey has signed every anti-abortion legislation sent to his desk. In the past few years, significant legislation has restricted funding for providers and more tightly regulated the industry in the state.

There are limitations to the rankings, as access to an abortion provider is greater in Arizona than in states like Mississippi, but Arizona has certainly positioned itself as among the states that are most restrictive for abortion.